Wednesday, August 06, 2008

LOS ANGELES August 7, 2008--- The organizers of HollyShorts announced today three special awards that will be presented at the 4th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival opening night celebration, which takes place on Thursday, August 7. Creative mastermind David Lynch (Eraserhead, Mulholland Drive) will be honored with the 2008 HollyShorts Visionary Award. Award-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis (Crash, In the Valley of Elah) will be honored with the 2008 HollyShorts Outstanding Achievement in Film Award and actress Paula Garces (Harold and Kumar, “Knight Rider”) will be honored with the 2008 HollyShorts Future Star Award.

The awards will be presented during the festivals special opening night celebration which takes place at Egyptian theatre in Hollywood in conjunction with the American Cinematheque. The HollyShorts Film Festival opening night celebration begins at 8pm and will be hosted by Jill Simonian, correspondent “Dailies” for ReelzChannel. The event will feature a number of high profile short film projects including "Hole in the Paper Sky," produced by and starring Jessica Biel and directed by Bill Purple, "Nosebleed," starring David Arquette and directed by Jeff Vespa, as well as the Hollywood premiere of actor Josh Brolin's short film "X." HollyShorts opening night will also feature “Verboten” by Martin Keegan, “The Outlaw Emmett Deemus” by Stephan S. Fleet and “ Red Princess Blues Animated: The Book of Violence” by Dan Cregan.

In addition to Lynch’s Visionary Award for his dedication to craft and the art of filmmaking, HollyShorts is partnering with The David Lynch Foundation to launch The HollyShorts David Lynch Foundation Student Short film competition. The contest, which launches in January will call for high school and college short film short films 15 minutes and under, which will be selected and screened during the 2009 HollyShorts Film Festival. A portion of the proceeds will go to The David Lynch Foundation. In the past year, the Foundation has provided millions of dollars for thousands of students, teachers, and parents to learn to meditate. The Foundation also provides funds for independent research institutions to assess the effects of the program on creativity, intelligence, brain functioning, academic performance, ADHD and other learning disorders, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse.

Paul Haggis is the recipient of the 2008 HollyShorts Outstanding Achievement in Film Award for transcending a dream into one of the most compelling and successful careers in Hollywood. Paula Garces is a fast rising actress in Hollywood. With starring roles in the Harold and Kumar franchise, she will next make her appearance on NBC’s upcoming series “Knight Rider.” She will be presented the 2008 Future Star Award by the late legendary filmmaker Stanley Kramer’s wife Karen Sharpe-Kramer and her daughter actress Katharine "Kat" Kramer.

HollyShorts has several events taking place in the Hollywood area during the 4th Annual Festival. On Friday, August 8 there will be 11 music videos in competiation during the festival’s inaugural music video celebration at Nacional in Hollywood. August 9-10 will feature 50 short films in competition during special screenings at Laemmle's Sunset 5 theatres 10:15am-7:30pm

Tickets for the HollyShorts opening night celebration are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting Fandango at www.fandango.com or the American Cinematheque website at www.americancinematheque.com.

About HollyShortsHollyShorts is an organization devoted to showcasing the best and brightest short films from around the globe, advancing the careers of filmmakers through screenings, networking events, and various panel and forums. The HollyShorts Film festival showcases the top short films produced 30- minutes or less. For more information, please visit www.hollyshorts.com.